As is well known to those versed in the art of carpentry, and particularly that of building houses, the hammering of nails generally required both hands of the carpenter, one to hold the nail during starting in the wood, and the other to swing the hammer. This two-handed operation severly limits the area to which one can reach, for example, from a ladder, to require much movement and expenditure of time and energy.
In order to minimize or reduce this problem, there have been provided in the prior art a number of hammers and attachments therefore serving to hold nails during starting, all as a one-hand operation. For example, applicant is aware of the below listed prior art:
______________________________________ U.S. Patents U.S. Pat. No. Patentee ______________________________________ 35,885 Mills et al 193,967 Knight 794,310 Priestley 825,560 Smith 1,029,934 J. R. Kidd 1,209,583 Holmdahl 1,247,683 Hritz et al 1,365,778 Galligan 1,387,920 Busse 1,411,567 Fisher 2,227,455 Lane 2,574,304 B. Vigil 2,722,251 F. F. Dillon 2,983,297 J. M. Wilson 4,270,587 Ludy ______________________________________ Foreign Patents Country Patent No. Patentee Date ______________________________________ Norway 72,002 Johannessen 4/1947 Switzerland 566,846 Vigil 9/1975 ______________________________________
However, the devices of the prior patents are relatively expensive, even the hammer attachments, being necessarily of metal and involving expensive manufacturing procedures. Also, the prior art devices are relatively complex, bulky in size and heavy in weight to detract from their convenience in use. Also, even the prior art attachments are relatively difficult to attach or subject to inadvertent removal when not desired; and, prior art attachments are not capable of use with a variety of different sizes and types of hammers.